Barton becomes Atlanta Executive Network’s first female president

BONNIE BARTON DESCRIBES herself as a "business farmer," because she says she knows what it takes to make businesses grow.

As owner of Entrepreneur’s Resource & Information Connection, Inc., Barton’s passion lies in advising small businesses on how to plant the seeds that will enable them to thrive.

"It’s all about growing, setting up foundations for solid growths, and making sure they’ll be further ahead," she says.

When Barton, who currently serves as vice-president of the Atlanta Executive Network, becomes president of the gay group this month, she’ll apply those talents on a larger scale.

Barton’s election by AEN’s board of directors is a milestone in the 11-year history of the organization, marking the first time a woman will serve as president.

"I’m very much humbled and excited," Barton says. "It’s a big job in itself. To be the first woman president since its inception is awesome. I’m very honored that the board chose to elect me."

Founded in May 1992, the non-profit AEN is one of the largest gay business and professional networking organizations in the country, citing 1,100 members, including more than a few heterosexuals.

Barton has served AEN in various capacities since its inception, leading up to her current status as vice-president. She has also served as director of Atlanta Women in Business and is a member of the National Association of Women Business Owners.

Barton will be officially introduced to AEN members as their new president at the group’s Jan. 15 monthly meeting, which features guest speaker Susan Booth, artistic director of the Alliance Theatre.

In addition to strong leadership skills, Barton is "a confident person with a sincere interest in business in Atlanta and growing the organizations," says Allen Jones, AEN’s founder and first president.

AEN PRIDES ITSELF on a mission of including all genders and sexual orientations, but its membership remains mostly male, Barton says. The group’s Women’s Initiative is designed to increase gender diversity.

"We wanted to find out where that exclusiveness was coming from," Barton says.

Wanting more female members, AEN’s board and members distributed questionnaires to local women and sponsored special events featuring prominent lesbians as a draw. The survey results will be analyzed during the AEN board’s January retreat, Barton says.

"There are a number of issues widely reaching in both the gay and straight communities," Barton says. "That’s what we want to look at: what can we do to improve on our networking opportunities and make everyone feel welcome."

Barton also has other goals for AEN under her tenure.

"We need to develop a format that brings businesses more of what they want, which is more business," she says.

Barton sees promoting gay businesses as another challenge.

"How do we let [other] businesses know we’re out here and bring them all together in a supportive role?" she says.

In addition, AEN wants to address the needs of its student members and nurture their future career paths by providing networking opportunities with potential employers, Barton says.

BARTON’S LIFE PARTNER, Mary Ann Shea, supports her work with AEN. But balancing work, volunteer activities and family can be challenging, Barton acknowledges. She admits her passion for volunteering can sometimes infringe on her personal life.

But communication, commitment and compromise are keys to the solidity of her relationship with Shea, Barton says.

"We’re constantly working on that," she says. "Mary Ann is very supportive of my role in AEN. We talked about it before I [got involved] and how it might affect our relationship."

No matter how busy their weekday schedules, Barton and Shea keep weekends free so they can spend time with each other. Barton also says she’s fortunate to have a close relationship with her partner’s two adult daughters.

Barton attributes a similar spirit of partnership to the success of AEN. Although each board position in AEN has distinct responsibilities, Barton says officers work as a team and credits outgoing president David Payne with helping her prepare for the many demanding duties of her new role.
" It’s beneficial to know you’re in the loop," she says.

According to Payne, the keys for successful leadership include great listening and communication skills and the ability to build consensus among members of the organization.

Barton has all those skills, Payne says.

"She’s got a lot of support on the board, and she is going to make a great president," he says.

MORE INFO
Atlanta Executive Network
P.O. Box 7308
404-724-9008
www.aen.org